There are never enough bookcases for a bibliophile like me. Books are stacked beside my bed, they fill my (non-functioning) fireplace, and my actual bookcase is stuffed with tomes ranging from the weighty War and Peace to hot pink chick lit. What can I say? I love words.
I also love eco-friendly DIY, and I recently discovered a sweet little project that combines both in a cute, whimsical take on my favorite kind of furniture. I’ve seen a ton of DIY projects using drawers, but for some reason I never thought to use them like this. This bookcase takes three drawers, turns them on their sides and stacks them to create an incredible little bookcase. Simple legs raise the piece off the ground, and a fresh coat of paint in a contrasting color inside the drawers really makes the project pop.
Using the component pieces of an item that would otherwise be destined for the trash — in this case, an old dresser — is one of the best ways to reduce environmental impact. The dresser frame may have been damaged or unusable, but if the drawers are solid, why not find a way to make use of them?
This DIY bookcase (above) was created for sale by Branches Furniture on Etsy, a shop dedicated to refurbishing and repurposing furniture. The bookcase has long since been snatched up (I’m not surprised!), but creating a DIY version of your own would be a snap. This project requires little in the way of power tools — all you need to do is securely attach the drawers to each other, and then add legs, which are readily available from most home-improvement stores. (And please remember to anchor heavy furniture like bookcases and dressers to the wall if you live with little ones!)
If this project is too demanding, or you don’t share my obsession with bookcases, consider using those drawers for something else instead. I love this idea of adding casters to drawers instead, and creating functional under-bed storage. I’m sensing that an epidemic of drawer-less dressers is about to sweep the country, and I really can’t blame you.
Just leave a few for me, okay?
Feature image courtesy of Floodwall Project